The number of applications for the 2012 university and college entrance examinations has reduced by 7.7 percent compared to last year, according to the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET).

Fewer students vie for university places

The reason for fewer students applying for the entrance exam is that counseling provided about suitable careers has convinced those who do not have good academic results to choose other options like vocational training.

Changes in the ministry's regulation this year have also been a contributing factor. For example, students who have obtained first, second and third prizes in national exams can be recruited directly by universities without attending the entrance exams.

Of 1.96 million applicants this year, university applicants account for 75 percent.

The number of applications for the Math, Physics and Chemistry group is still the highest at around 47 percent, followed by the Math, Chemistry and Biology group with 21 percent.

Business and management faculties attracted more than 30 percent of the applications, but this marked a reduction of more than 10 percent compared to the last exam.

The number of applications for the agriculture, aquaculture and forestry faculties has increased 0.4 percent against last exam.

The introduction of several changes in the admissions policy for medical and pharmacology universities is an important development in this year's university entrance exams, according to the Health Ministry's Science and Training Department.

For instance, the ministry now allows principals of such universities to admit ethnic minority students and those with residential books in 62 disadvantaged districts without attending the university entrance exams.

Tran Duc Thuan, deputy head of the department, said that the recruitment quota for medical and pharmaceutical universities will continue to increase because the demand for healthcare personnel is very high.

Inspection

The MoET has announced that it has set up inspection teams to examine preparations of the upcoming university and college entrance examinations.

The inspections will cover supervision, marking and selection processes at examination venues nationwide.

Surprise checks will be carried out in an attempt to prevent violations and wrongdoing during the examinations that are due to begin on July 4.

Nguyen Huy Bang, the ministry's chief inspector, said that inspectors would ask exam supervisors to keep written records of any violations by examinees as regulated and take follow up action.

They would also require heads of admission boards and principals of universities and colleges to record in writing any violations committed by officials participating in supervising and marking exams.